


The More, The Merrier

by duelmepharaoh (captain_indigo)



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Series
Genre: Gemshipping, Heartshipping, M/M, Multi, Prompt Fill, Puzzleshipping, all are either post-canon or au, brief description of getting stabbed, flareshipping, ships are labeled in chapter titles, written for polyship week 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-15 08:38:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12317538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_indigo/pseuds/duelmepharaoh
Summary: They weren't exactly friends, because that was generally how it was when someone had tried to outright kill you, however long ago. They weren't friends, but they were always aware of each other. That was generally how it was when two people had been thrown together by fate and by necessity and lived through the danger that came with it. It had been Atem, but it had also been Yugi. It had taken a duel (of course) and another apocalypse for Kaiba to realize that.





	1. Day 1: Beginnings (Flare)

Even in the midst of the lights and smoke, Yugi saw the smile that tilted up the corners of Kaiba's mouth. It was noticeable, mostly because Kaiba rarely smiled, but also because it was different even from those. It was a real smile, satisfied but not guarded, genuinely pleased about something Yugi could only guess at. Then the lights went out, Diva-who-was-not loomed, and the weight of the world crashed down on their shoulders. Again. And then Kaiba was gone. And then Atem came at Yugi's call, and the darkness was burned away like fog in the sun.

It was only later, back at the shop, that he remembered. He ran his fingers over his (their) cards, tucking them neatly back into the golden box. Kaiba had smiled. Yugi ran his thumb lightly over the corner of the Dark Magician, who looked no different apart from an indefinable twinkle in his eyes. There was something new in the way Kaiba had spoken to him, after. He had looked Yugi in the eyes, looked  _ Yugi _ in the eyes, and had not seen Atem instead. Kaiba, who had pursued Atem with single-minded desperation, who had clung to hope when Yugi had tried (tried so very hard) to let go... Yugi hummed thoughtfully. It was hard to say with any certainty what Seto Kaiba felt about anything, even on the rare occasions when he shouted it from the rooftops. So often, the things he shouted were nothing but half-truths. Yugi put away the Dark Magician, lingering over the box with a smile of his own.

     "Goodnight, Atem."

A week passed, and then two, and the mystery of Kaiba still lingered at the edge of Yugi's mind. They weren't exactly friends, because that was generally how it was when someone had tried to outright kill you, however long ago. They weren't friends, but they were always aware of each other. That was generally how it was when two people had been thrown together by fate and by necessity and lived through the danger that came with it. It had been Atem, but it had also been Yugi. It had taken a duel (of course) and another apocalypse for Kaiba to realize that.

 

He was at a nightclub, oddly enough, when further answers came. Honda and Jou were in the center doing the chicken dance, wildly off-beat. Mai and Anzu had Ryou sandwiched between them on a bench, trying to convince him that yes, people did actually come here for fun. Something dark-toned with a thudding bass-line came on, the kind that begged for hips under your hands and sweaty skin under your tongue. Ryuji finally hopped up from where he was perched at the bar, grabbing Honda and tugging him deeper into the crowd. Poor Honda looked like he had an entire mid-life crisis in the space of five seconds. He made frantic eye-contact with Jou, who just did finger-guns at him and abandoned Honda to his fate. The next time Yugi saw them, Honda was actually swaying to the beat and glowing red with whatever Ryuji was whispering in his ear. Ryuji's eyes were bright and magnetic and full of fire and life and...

Reminded Yugi of Kaiba's eyes across an arena, holding his breath as Atem drew his next card.

Oh.  _ Oh. _

Yugi figured Kaiba could count the people he'd looked at that way on one hand.

 

So when, a few weeks later, Kaiba had summoned him to Kaiba Corp for a duel, Yugi had gently turned him down.

     "What do you mean,  _ no _ ?"

     "I'm not him, Kaiba," Yugi had begun delicately, but Kaiba had cut him off with a brusque wave of his hand.

     "Of course you aren't. You're Yugi Muto, King of Games. Just as worthy a challenge. So?"

Yugi blinked, wondering briefly who this was and what they'd done with the real Kaiba. If this wasn’t actually about Kaiba’s feelings for Atem, then...

     "Sure." Yugi's face broke out in a wide grin. "I won't go easy on you just because you helped save the world again."

     "I'd be insulted if you did."

Yugi felt a twinge of excitement, because, truth be told, there was no one (apart from Atem) that dueled quite like Kaiba.

 

So they met, once, twice, and finally something that could be called regularly. Yugi still won nine times out of ten, but it was almost as gratifying when he lost, because he could see something like that spark settling back in behind Kaiba’s eyes, a little more each time. They still weren’t friends, but on the days when they dueled and Kaiba went even paler and ground his teeth and spat, now Yugi understood. He simply nodded and put away his cards, no matter how much Kaiba growled at him to finish the game. Yugi was kind, not stupid. He was oddly pleased when slowly, slowly, those times became fewer, and the tension in Kaiba’s face went from ‘about to shatter’ to ‘I’m a CEO and also basically a dad but my life isn’t terrible’. 

 

Mokuba came in once, because he knew how his brother was with card games. He just needed to be sure. He looked at Kaiba, and at Yugi, and back at Kaiba again with an oddly misty expression. He nodded to Yugi, managing to suppress a smile, and didn’t bother them again.

 

It took Kaiba months to adjust his machinery to account for the data he had scanned from the Cube. 

Mokuba was still against it.

     “At least talk to him first,” he said, sure that if anyone could talk Kaiba out of this insane plan, it was Yugi.

     “I’m going.” 

Yugi looked up from arranging card packs on a lower shelf. He didn’t need any clarification.

     “I knew you would, eventually.” Yugi stood, brushing off his knees, and hopped up on the counter so they were at eye-level with each other. Kaiba huffed in amusement, but moved to stand in front of Yugi, waiting for him to speak. “Why?” Kaiba opened his mouth to give some flippant response, but appeared to think better of it. “Answer me, Kaiba,” Yugi ordered, and for a moment sounded so much like someone else that Kaiba spoke without thought.

     “You’re not him. No one is.” It was a simple answer, but there was a traitorous creak in Kaiba’s voice. Yugi stared at him,  _ hard. _ Then he nodded.

     “I figured you felt that way. It’s difficult not to, about him.” Yugi got down from the counter, bracing a hand fleetingly on Kaiba’s chest as he jumped. “Tell him- “ He swallowed, his mouth dry. “Tell him I said hello,” he finished weakly. Kaiba snorted.

     “You seem confident. Mokuba thinks I’m going to my death.”

     “I’m pretty sure death knows not to get in your way at this point.”

Kaiba very nearly laughed.

     “I’m not your messenger. Wait till I’ve tested it and you can go tell him yourself.” Then with a swirl of his leather coat, he was gone.

Mokuba refused to speak to Yugi after that, so all he could do was wait.  And wait.

 

And wait.

 

It was only a day and a half, but it felt like a thousand years.

 

It was four in the morning. Yugi answered the phone on the first ring.

     “Yugi.”

     “Kaiba!”

     “Meet me. My office.” And then a click, so Yugi was still vibrating with worry and anticipation as he scrambled into his clothes and fumbled with his keys. He couldn’t really remember driving to Kaiba Corp. He burst into the office, and noticed the blue of the carpet and how lanky Kaiba was without his coat, as if he’d never seen either before. Then he saw the bright, self-satisfied smirk playing on Kaiba’s lips and in his eyes, and he dropped back against the closed door. He laughed, rubbing his damp eyes with the heel of his hand, because what else could he do? Kaiba rose, a bounce in his step. “We’ll have to get you fitted for some equipment, and I’ll need you to give me a few brain scans, but- “ Still laughing, Yugi grabbed Kaiba’s hands, spinning them around delightedly.

     “You did it! How was he? Are you ok? Did you tell him how you feel? What is it like there?”

Kaiba disentangled his hands, his face a little pink.

     “Of course I did it, did you forget who you’re talking to? He’s fine, I’m fine, and it was very sandy and very hot. Mokuba said to tell you you’re forgiven for not stopping me. Now can we get to work?”

     “We might as well, I’m definitely not sleeping any more tonight,” Yugi grinned. “And don’t think I missed you avoiding my question!”

     “Of course not,” Kaiba grumbled, leading the way down to the VR lab. “I just refuse to answer something so ridiculous.”

 

Between the silent, empty building, Kaiba looking oddly human in nothing but dark slacks and a turtleneck, and the still bizarre sensation of connecting his brain to a computer, the entire night felt as though it existed in some sort of liminal reality.

 

When they finally left the lab, they were both cold and stiff from lack of sleep and sustenance and the chill of a room designed to keep delicate machines from overheating. There was a small apartment attached to Kaiba’s office. Yugi couldn’t resist rolling his eyes a bit, but he could clearly see the usefulness. They ate in silence, collapsing onto the bed in their clothes. Yugi peeked out the window, guessed it was late-afternoon, promptly decided he didn’t care, and managed to throw some blankets over them both before he passed out.

 

It had gotten dark, and Yugi’s eyes were gritty when he finally opened them. He looked up to see Kaiba with a tiny screwdriver in his mouth and a soldering iron in his hand, fiddling with a duel disk that was almost identical to his own. It was smaller of course, and there was one other key difference. Satisfied, Kaiba connected the power source, and the disk hummed to life, glowing the same purple as the tips of Yugi’s hair. It seemed oddly sentimental, until Yugi remembered Kaiba’s obsession with making everything he owned a very specific shade of blue. The man just had a thing for color-coding.

     “Did you make him a red one?” Yugi asked, his voice still rough with sleep.

     “I’m assuming that’s rhetorical. Come try it on. I’ve adapted it to sync with the dimensional transport system, but it has to fit you perfectly.” Yugi rolled out of bed with a groan, tugging self-consciously at his wrinkled clothes. Kaiba stared at him expectantly. The duel disk slid easily over his arm. The one from their duel with Diva had fit well, of course, but this one molded to his arm like a second skin. He activated the headset, and even his link to the cloud network felt clearer, stronger. “Well?”

     “Perfect.”

     “Hm. Of course,” Kaiba answered, but Yugi could tell he was pleased. “Well?”

     “Give me a minute.” Yugi left a brief message for his Grandpa that he was going on a trip and might be out of cell phone range. He conveniently forgot to mention the inter-dimensional travel. He fired off a few texts. The answers ranged from ‘good luck!’ to ‘be careful’ to one that said ‘I swear to god Yuge if that asshole gets you guys killed I’m gonna resurrect him just so I can kick him in the- ‘ and went on like that for several more sentences. Snickering, Yugi finally noticed that Kaiba was pacing the room, tapping his fingers on his arm. “Ok, ok, ready when you are!”

     “I’ve been ready,” Kaiba grumbled, heading for his private elevator.

Silence fell between them again as the reached the hanger, and then the roar of the Blue-Eyes jet was too loud for conversation. Yugi wasn’t sure if the flight to the space elevator was too fast or not fast enough. He tried to steel himself.

     “We don’t have to go into space?”

     “No. I did that the first time to make sure it wouldn’t send the entire planet with me.” Yugi’s eyes almost popped out of his head. “The important thing is this specific area of the cloud network.”

They were climbing into the pod, when Yugi put out a hand. Kaiba paused, staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

     “You have to tell him.”

     “I don’t  _ have _ to do anything, Yugi.”

     “After all this?” Yugi gestured to the pod and the Cube covered in wires under a glass dome and Kaiba’s hand clenched white-knuckled on the edge of the metal.

     “It seems redundant.”

     “If he knows, then it can’t hurt to tell him.”

Kaiba’s hand went reflexively to the deck attached to his belt.

     “And if I don’t know what to… what I… “

     “Then I’m going to lock you both in whatever passes for a closet in the afterlife until you figure it out.” Kaiba snorted, and the tension was broken.

     “You would never be able to, your growth spurt wasn’t that substantial.”

     “Yes, and your bicep is thicker than my neck. I noticed.”

It was unnerving, to see your own body dissolving into light, but Yugi only felt warmth and excitement building in his chest.

 

It grew brighter, even blinding, and the heat grew until sweat began to bead on Yugi’s neck. His heels dug into sand, he blinked, and blue exploded across his vision.

 

The city’s reflection glimmered at them across a short stretch of dunes, and Yugi’s heart thudded in his chest.

 

Atem wasn’t in the throne room this time, but the guards directed them to the gardens, actually giving a short bow to Yugi as they did so.

     “I didn’t know I was in the presence of royalty.”

     “Shut up,” Yugi grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Atem was kneeling slightly off the path, petting a cat, of all things, and Yugi’s breath got stuck halfway out of his lungs. He got up from his knees, dusting them off and looking at the pair with sparkles in his eyes.

     “Good morning, Kaiba, Aibou.” Yugi laughed again, bright and joyful, rushing forward and throwing his arms around Atem’s neck. Atem was warm from the sun, his dark skin smelled of some sort of spicy, floral oil, and Yugi thought he could happily stay right where he was for several days at least. “I’m glad you could come.” Atem grinned, squeezing Yugi tight and planting a kiss on his lips.

     “So am I.” Then Yugi remembered they had company, and twisted to look back over his shoulder. Kaiba was stock still, his expression politely blank.

     “Come find me when you wish to return home.” He turned to leave.

     “Oh no you don’t. Get back here,” Yugi ordered, and Kaiba actually stopped, glaring at him.

     “You can’t expect me to- not after he just kissed- what do you  _ want _ from me?” Kaiba was actually waving his hands in frustration, so Yugi decided to take pity on him.

     “Atem, I think Kaiba might have a thing for you.”

     “You don’t say,” Atem deadpanned.

     “Fine. I have a thing. I also have my answer.” Kaiba gestured pointedly at them, still in each other’s arms. “I’ll be going now.” Atem suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable.

     “Ah, Yugi. How do you propose we, um.” Sighing deeply and rolling his eyes, Yugi let go of Atem and gave him a little push.

     “Go on, I think he wants one too. Didn’t all the great pharaohs have a harem?”

     “I am  _ not _ going to be part of a  _ harem _ ,” Kaiba hissed, but broke off when Atem reached up to cup his face.

     “Well, Kaiba?” It was the challenge in Atem’s voice that pushed Kaiba past his carefully constructed barrier of hostility, as it always did. Kaiba grabbed Atem’s shoulders, shoving their lips together artlessly, and jerking away as though he still expected to be slapped.

     “You’re going to have to work on that,” Atem said, his mouth twitching with humor.

     “Practice makes perfect!” Yugi called from behind them.

Kaiba glared, but the effect was ruined by the pink in his cheeks.

     “Whatever. Can we duel now? The inter-dimensional transport system can’t support two people for very long. Yet.”

Atem turned to Yugi.

     “Do you mind?”

     “Duel all you want, as long as I get to watch.” Yugi wiggled his eyebrows, and this time Atem and Kaiba  _ both _ flushed.

“Shall we?” Atem turned away hastily, and Kaiba followed him from the garden with a chuckling Yugi trailing along behind them.


	2. Day 2: The Little Things (Flare)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decided I'm putting all my polyship week prompts in one spot. Today is Flare again! This could probably work for the angst prompt as well, but I figured blankets and communication qualify as "little things that keep them together" :')

     "Yuugi."

     "Mmm?"

     "Where's Atem?"

Yuugi opened a sleepy eye. 2:00 AM glowed blue at him from the clock on the nightstand. Kaiba was stripping out of his suit and pulling on his night clothes. He glanced over at the bathroom, but no light shone under the door. Not there, then. He wiggled over to look off the side of the bed. Atem's slippers were gone. He looked at the clock again, and saw the date. _Ah._

     "It's the anniversary. The day I solved the puzzle, the first time."

     "That doesn't answer my question."

     "Probably outside. The porch. Or maybe that balcony on the roof. C'mon. The bed's cold, I bet he's been out there for a while." Yuugi rolled out of bed, wrapping a blanket around his shoulders like a cloak and grabbing a glass of water from the dresser.

     "Why there?"

     "You'll see," Yugi yawned, and Kaiba followed him upstairs to where a set of glass paneled doors led out onto the roof of the kitchen. Atem sat on the railing, his feet swinging out into nothing. As Yuugi got closer, he could see the hairs standing up all over Atem's body, but he didn't seem to notice the chill. His eyes were fixed unblinking on the stars. "Tem?" Yuugi kept his voice low.

     "It shouldn't bother me," Atem muttered, unmoving.

Kaiba stood silent in the doorway, not yet sure if this was a moment he should be party to.

     "But it does bother you. Can I touch you?" Atem didn't answer, so Yuugi set down the glass nearby, and leaned a foot or two away on the railing in silence.

     "The physical darkness wasn't the problem, I didn't mind that." Atem still barely seemed to notice that Yuugi was there."It wasn't Zorc either. What was a little torture for the safety of the world?" His voice began to crack. "It was the forgetting. It didn't happen all at once. The spell took them slowly, and I could feel them trickling away over thousands of years. My name was gone from the beginning, but I could feel Seth and Isis and Mahaad and Mana slipping away like sand between my fingers. And with everything I lost, I felt dimmer and dimmer, till there was nothing left. I felt nothing, I thought nothing, and even Zorc left me alone. I was a ghost. There was nothing worse he could do to me. And it could have been forever."

The unexpected tears on his face jolted Atem from his haze, but he just looked over at Yuugi, not bothering to wipe them away. "Please, Aibou." Yuugi nodded, settling the blanket gently over Atem's shoulders, and hopped up to join Atem on the railing, putting an arm around his waist. "Is Seto awake?" Atem looked over his shoulder hopefully, sighing in relief when Kaiba moved to join them.

     "What can I do?" Kaiba asked softly, following Yuugi's lead.

Atem hesitated, suddenly feeling too weak, too needy. It shouldn't bother him, he couldn't show vulnerability like this, he should just-

     "Atem. I can hear you thinking," Yuugi chided, poking his cold nose into the side of Atem's cheek. "Let us hold you." Kaiba waited, and at Atem's shaky nod, wrapped his long arms around both of them. Slowly, the tension bled out of Atem's body, and he relaxed into their arms.

     "When I- " Kaiba's voice was even huskier than usual, so he cleared his throat before continuing. "Red suits. They aren't in style anymore, but sometimes people still wear them. I can make it through the meeting, till they leave. And to the bathroom before I throw up. After."

To Kaiba's relief, Atem didn't answer, just laced their fingers together against his chest.

     "And I have nightmares about being trapped in various things. Figurines. Tablets. An outfit with an insufficient number of leather belts." Atem snorted, and Yuugi smiled, pressing his lips to the corner of Atem's mouth. "That's more like it."

     "Would you stay with me, for a while? The house feels claustrophobic."

     "Course, as long as you want. I'll be right back." Yuugi extricated himself, hopping back off the railing. His last look at Kaiba was so full of gratitude and affection that Kaiba actually blushed, burying his face in Atem's hair.

Yuugi disappeared back into the house on his quest for more blankets, leaving Atem wrapped in Kaiba's arms out under the open sky.


	3. Day 3: Conflict (Heart, Gem, Puzzle)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This goes along with a [fic I’m writing](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10621860/chapters/23493165). If you don’t feel like reading it, the basic premise is that Ryou and Yugi have been dating, brought back the Thief King and Atem with necromancy, and are now all living in an apartment together. This does not always go well. Also apparently this is called a cross-couple relationship! And yes I had to google that. It's not a quad. ~~Yet.~~

Yugi balanced the bag of groceries on his hip, reaching for the keys in his other pocket. The muffled voices inside the apartment rose in volume, and he hesitated.

     “ -can’t! There’s no way you could understand, of course. You have it easy.” Bakura’s voice was tight with fury, and Yugi wondered what he was about to walk into.

     “Easy?” That was Atem. Yugi frowned, his hand still on the doorknob. He sounded just as angry as Bakura, which was rare these days. “Of course I understand you idiot. Every time I see more of Yugi’s scars from our time in his body, I start wishing I’d stayed in the Puzzle. Every time he smiles or touches me I remember that I’m supposed to be dead, that I was judged for what I did and found undeserving even of a place in the afterlife, much less a second chance to live. And you can’t even say Ryou’s name, because you’re just waiting for everything to go up in flames again.”

     “And whose fault was that the first time? You know what? Fuck you. Your self-pity is disgusting. If it wouldn’t upset my host so much I’d have already stabbed you in your sleep. If it’s so hard on you then just go back to the shadow realm and rot there.”

     “Gods above you’re a nightmare. I don’t know how they put up with you,” Atem snapped, and Yugi heard him leave, and the slamming of a bedroom door. He waited a moment more, but everything was silent. Finally he turned the knob.

Bakura whipped around, knife still gripped tight in his hand, seething. Yugi shifted his weight, just slightly, ready to drop the groceries and disarm Bakura if he had to. Bakura noticed, of course, and a strange expression of guilt flashed across his face as he stuck the knife back in his belt.

     “So. You heard?”

Yugi relaxed, walking past Bakura to the kitchen. The thief trailed along behind him, clearly looking for a distraction.

     “Yes,” Yugi replied shortly, refilling the fruit basket they kept on the counter.

     “Well? Aren’t you going to start harping on me too? Beat me up for threatening your boyfriend? Go tell my host to keep me in line? Tell me how ungrateful I’m being?”

     “No.” Yugi kept putting things away, stacking boxes of tea neatly in a cupboard. He could feel Bakura’s stare on the back of his neck. Yugi waited until Bakura started fidgeting uncomfortably in his chair. “Why? Do you want me to?” He finally turned to look at Bakura.

Bakura was always a little unnerved by the lack of fear in Yugi’s eyes. It wasn’t that Yugi had just forgiven and forgotten. He still watched Bakura like a hawk and there was something firm in Yugi’s look, promising that the next time he hurt Ryou would be the last. It wasn’t a threat of any specific violence, because that wasn’t Yugi’s way. It was a look that simply reminded him how far Yugi would go to protect a friend. No, Yugi knew what Bakura was capable of, and simply refused to be intimidated by it.

     “No,” Bakura grumbled. “I suppose not. Are you always this nice to your enemies?”

     “I try to be,” Yugi answered with a soft laugh.

     “And when that fails?”

     “That’s what card games are for,” Yugi grinned, returning to his task. Eventually, he folded up the paper bag, tossing it in with the recycling. “What is it?” Bakura was staring at him, chin rested on his hands.

     “People usually either hate me or are scared of me. Why aren’t you?”

     “Between Atem and Ryou, I have a pretty good idea of what happened. I trust you about as far as I can throw you, but I don’t hate you.”

     “You know what happened and you aren’t afraid of me because…? And if you say I’m a changed man I really will gut someone in their sleep just to prove you wrong.”

     “Because you bark out these threats, and then you fix the furniture and keep our cooking knives sharp and stare at Ryou like  _that_  when you think no one’s looking and have gone two whole months in the same house as Atem and the most you’ve done is wave a weapon around when you get pissed off. You haven’t changed, as far as I can tell. You just have different priorities, ones that don’t include revenge or shadow magic or attacking the people I care about.”

Bakura scowled, looking as though he was seriously considering stabbing as a viable end to this conversation.

     “You’re lucky yadonushi likes you so much.” Yugi’s face went soft and a little blush crept over his cheeks.

     “Yeah. I know. I could say the same for you though.”

     “What? That’s- that’s ridiculous, it’s not the same- why would you say that? Don’t say that. He only brought me back out of some sort of misplaced pity. And I don’t stare at him. Shut the fuck up.”

     “You’re being awfully defensive.” Yugi stopped chopping vegetables long enough to wiggle his eyebrows suggestively. Bakura didn’t even bother to glare as he made a hasty retreat from the kitchen.


	4. Day 4: Outfit Swap (Flare)

     "You won't win this time, Pharaoh! I've assembled my strongest deck yet!"

     "Hah! You underestimate me at your peril, Kaiba!"

     "We'll see about- oooof!" Atem tripped over the long white coat that was clearly much too long for him. The leather pants weren't too bad, he could just roll them up and shove them into the tops of his boots. The shirt actually almost fit. Kaiba's absurdly huge coat, however, was trailing after Atem like a bridal train.

Yugi leaned heavily against the bed, Atem's golden regalia hugging his body, laughing himself sick. He made no move to help Atem up from his position face-down on the ground.

     "Why are we doing this exactly?" Atem grumbled into the carpet.

     "It's hilarious. You sounded just like him! We should stay like this till he gets home."

     "I should hope I can manage to sound like Kaiba, I've heard him shout that line at me more times than I can count." Yugi finally contained his laughter enough to help Atem disentangle his legs from Kaiba's coat.

     "So what did you think of my Atem impression?" Yugi squared his shoulders, furrowed his brow, and pulled some of his bangs upright into the rest of his hair.

Atem just glared, swinging the end of the coat over his arm so he wouldn't trip. Yugi ignored him and continued, dropping his voice a bit. "Come on Kaiba, is that all you've got? Stop getting distracted by all of this incredibly obvious tension between- "

     "What are you doing with my coat." Kaiba leaned against the door frame, eyebrows raised. Atem winced, looking a bit caught out.

     "...role-playing?" Yugi tried. Kaiba just looked at him. "Ok, I thought it would be funny and roped Atem into it. Turns out we both look ridiculous, so- "

     "I didn't say that," Atem muttered from behind him. "You look... well, it suits you. And you aren't a whole cubit taller, so they actually fit."

     "I think that was a compliment," Kaiba remarked dryly. "Can I have my clothing back now?"

     "No, you have to try on mine! The leather pants might be a bit tight, but not much worse than yours."

     "You're joking. I'd need bodyglide to get into those."

     "Which I know for a fact you have in the bathroom cabinet. Please? I'll make it worth your while." Yugi propped a leg on the bed, letting his tunic slide up to reveal a truly scandalous amount of thigh. Kaiba rolled his eyes.

     "You know that kind of thing doesn't work on me."

     "I'm wearing Atem's clothes, it was worth a shot."

     "It's not the clothes, Yugi," Atem began seriously, and his eyes flickered with amusement. "You can't simply dress like a pharaoh, you must also command like one." Kaiba's entire body went tense as a board.

     " _Ok_ , I'll put them on, but you  _both_  owe me a duel."

     "Agreed."

     "Yup! Don't forget the belts!"

Kaiba huffed, retreating to the bathroom.

     "I didn't expect you to back me up on that one," Yugi said, slipping an arm around Atem's waist.

     "If I must look silly, so must he."

     "You just want to see him in my pants, don't you."

     "I see where you're trying to go with that, and I'm not falling for it."

After a few minutes of ominous silence, the bathroom door swung open, and Kaiba strode out, clearly bracing himself for mockery.

     "Oh wow," Yugi breathed. The black tank top cut off just below Kaiba's ribs, leaving the long plane of his stomach bare. He had, somehow, gotten the pants on, but they were so tight that Yugi could see every flex of muscle as Kaiba walked. The waistband and studded belts hung dangerously low on his hips, and the snap at the top of his zipper had refused to close. Leather and metal glinted at his wrists and his throat.

     "I still don't see how you can stand to leave the house looking like this." Kaiba shifted uncomfortably under their stares.

     "And I still don't see how you can make literally any outfit look that sexy," Yugi replied, still looking a little dazed. He moved slowly forward, reaching up and running a finger over the belt buckle that rested against Kaiba's neck.

     "You do look good, Blue-eyes," Atem added from over Yugi's shoulder.

Kaiba swallowed, adam's apple bobbing underneath the leather.

     "Are you done? I have work to finish."

     "Course." Yugi removed his hand with a satisfied grin and headed in the direction of the kitchen. "Come on, eat first. We saved you some dinner."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~breaks all laws of physics so Kaiba can fit in Yugi's pants~~   
>  ~~i struggled to keep this sfw not gonna lie~~


	5. Day 5: Let's (Not) Duel (Heart, Gem, Puzzle)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This goes along with a [fic I’m writing](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10621860/chapters/23493165). If you don’t feel like reading it, the basic premise is that Ryou and Yugi have been dating, brought back the Thief King and Atem with necromancy, and are now all living in an apartment together.

Yugi and Atem sat in the middle of the living room floor, cards fanned out around them in great swaths. Ryou picked his way gingerly through on the way to the kitchen.

Atem glanced over at Bakura, who was sitting on the couch reading and very pointedly not looking at them.

     "They won't bite, you know." Bakura just huffed, not looking up. "I'm serious. I think if you gave it a chance, you might actually enjoy it."

     "Wouldn't be the same," Bakura muttered.

     "Perhaps you're just afraid I'll beat you," Atem replied, grinning.

Bakura's face hardened and he slammed the book shut, swinging his legs over the back of the couch and retreating to his room. Atem frowned, turning back to his half-built deck. "I'm no good at this. Duels are so much easier than people."

     "You'll get there," Yugi said, leaning back on his hands. "Mortal enemies, remember? It takes time."

     "I suppose." They built their decks in silence for a while. "Isn't it his birthday soon?"

     "As near as we can calculate, yes," Ryou said, making his way back through the cards with a glass of water. "Why?"

Atem tapped his fingers thoughtfully on his leg, staring down at the Dark Magician.

* * *

Bakura held the small box in his hand, eyeing them warily.

     "I said I didn't want anything. I never celebrated my birthday before, I don't need to start now."

     "It's from all of us. We had to blackmail the crap out of Kaiba to get this made, we thought you'd approve. Just open it." Yugi smiled encouragingly. "If you hate it, you can always give it back."

Atem hovered in the background, twisting one of his rings back and forth as he watched Bakura wiggle the lid off.

Bakura stared at the card, and then looked back up at them, his face utterly blank.

     "Go on Bakura, read it." Ryou placed his hand on Bakura's shoulder, and for once the thief didn't grumble. He cleared his throat.

     "Diabound. This hol- " Bakura had to stop, clearing his throat for a second time. "This holy spirit-beast is formed only from the soul of a person truly loyal to the cause of justice." There was more, but Bakura fell silent, tracing the curve of Diabound's scales with his finger.

     "I know you said it wouldn't be the same, but I thought. That is, I still have the Dark Magician, and- " Bakura looked up, his sharp gaze failing to halt Atem's awkward mumbling. "And you don't- I thought you should have- I thought you should have something," he finished uncomfortably, grimacing down at his hands.

     "I don't."

     "What?"

     "Hate it. The card." Atem blinked in surprise, and the usual smirk started to creep back onto Bakura's face. "You know you're never gonna beat me in a fair duel, right?" Atem's astonishment grew almost comical at that.

     "Happy birthday!" Ryou planted a kiss right on top of Bakura's head. The thief swatted at him in horror, turning beet red and almost dropping the card in the process. Yugi snickered.

     "Come on Atem, let's go get the cake. I think they need a moment."


	6. Day 6: Legend of Zelda AU (Atem/Yugi/TKB)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first section is based loosely on the scene with Zelda and Link at the beginning of Ocarina of Time. The second section is entirely made up for the angst factor. Link and Zelda and Ganondorf are reincarnated so many times throughout the series. What if one of them remembered all those other lives?

Atem approached carefully, his feet light on the well-worn stone pathway. Surely, this was the person he had traveled so far to find.

A gasp from the graceful figure made him jump. The Prince turned, and Atem stared. He was beautiful, covered in silks and jewels, his dark hair almost iridescently purple in the sun and held back by a glittering circlet above his brow.

In the center of it, and in the ornate necklace around Prince Yugi's throat, was the golden stylized Eye, the same one that had haunted Atem's dreams for many months before he had been summoned by the Great Deku Tree.

     "You! I've seen you before!" Atem stood, finally before the prince. He'd ducked and dodged through the ridiculous hedge maze full of guards, not even sure why he had to find this Prince Yugi apart from the whisperings of his heart. "You're the one from my dreams, I'm sure of it! You're from the Forest, aren't you?"

Atem nodded, picking nervously at the hem of his tunic and very aware of how faded it must look next to such finery. Prince Yugi didn't seem to notice.

     "So you must be a Kokiri!"

Atem slowly, reluctantly, shook his head. _I thought I was._

     "Oh, excuse me." The Prince looked at him curiously. "What's your name? I feel like I've been waiting ages to find out." Atem slid a chain from underneath his shirt. An elongated oval bore it in carefully carved letters, the only thing his mother had left when she gave him to the Kokiri for safekeeping. "Ok Atem. Nice to meet you! I'm Yugi." The Prince paused, scrutinizing him. "You don't speak, do you?" Again, Atem had to shake his head. "Hmm. You never did in my dreams, either. And I guess the Kokiri probably don't teach Hylian hand signs, we don't have contact with them at all." Atem felt the familiar flush of embarrassment and frustration creeping up his neck, but again Yugi seemed utterly unconcerned. "Don't worry though, we'll figure something out. Now, come here." He beckoned Atem up to the window. It looked in over a grand hall. Statues of past rulers of Hyrule lined the room, stretching up towards the arched ceiling. Rich blue and gold carpet spread from the door all the way up to an ornate throne at the far end. "That's him. You've been having the dreams too, right? A great darkness spreading from the desert? And that laugh..." Yugi shuddered, squeezed against Atem's shoulder so they could both peer into the narrow opening.

The young man before the king couldn't have been a great deal older than them. His unruly silver hair was barely tamed by the traditional bands that ran through it, and his crimson cape pooled around him where he knelt. A strange, golden circle hung from his neck, and it seemed to flicker with shadows in Atem's eyes.

     "He's the one," Yugi repeated, voice soft. "He will bring great evil to this land, unless we stop him." He turned, taking Atem's hands. "Are you with me?" The phrase seemed so familiar, like he'd heard it a thousand times before, and Atem found himself nodding without a thought. "Then let me tell you the legend of the three Items, bestowed upon us by the Goddesses. The Tauk of Wisdom, the Pendant of Courage, and the Ring of Power..."

* * *

Bakura was foiled, as he always was, but no lifetime was anything like the others.

This time, Yugi and Atem were clever. They were older, more patient, and with Yugi's power of foresight they became unstoppable. Bakura screamed as Yugi's arrows of light ripped the darkness out of him, pinning the Ring of Power to the wall.

But Bakura still had his body, and the sword in his hand, because the Arrows of Light could never be used to pierce something so base as flesh. He fought, because he always fought, because it was his fate, and because his best efforts to avoid it were always in vain.

They never remembered.

It was a curse worse than any pain that Zorc ever inflicted, that Bakura alone could remember the long chain of their reincarnations.

So they fought. The weight of the Atem's sword, empowered by the Pendant to fight evil, rattled his bones with every stroke. He looked into the Hero's eyes, and saw no recognition.

Bakura remembered the first time then, as he always did. Before his people had died, before Atem and Yugi looked at him with anything but affection, before they had split forever along the lines of light and darkness. He remembered the desert, Atem grinning with his hair in the wind as they raced each other across the flat roofs of Gerudo Village.

He was _tired._

Bakura's sword was twisted from his hand, or maybe he let it go. He didn't know, and it didn't matter.

Atem's sword was so sharp, he barely felt it going in. In this lifetime Atem had never killed before, and Bakura watched him go pale at the red shock of blood that spread around his blade. Bakura tried to breathe, and felt it being forced up out of his mouth. He choked, wetly, and Atem went a little green.

He savored these times, honestly. He didn't have to fight, in these brief moments between lifetimes, hovering in the comforting middle ground of near-death. In moments, everything would go dark, then light, and the cycle would begin again. He just looked at Atem, looking for any sign, any hope, and again found nothing.

     "You never remember," Bakura whispered, tilting forward as blood loss and lack of air made everything spin. He felt the sword this time, sliding further into his lung.

     "We never... what?" Bizarrely, acting on some kind of ancestral muscle memory, Atem caught him.

Held up by the sword and Atem's grip under his arm, Bakura closed the gap between them, allowing himself one last indulgence. Events might never play out this way again, he supposed. His mouth left blood on Atem's lips, and the Hero leaped backwards with a gasp.

Bakura dropped to his knees with a gurgle as the sword departed abruptly from his body. He looked up at Yugi, standing a little farther off with wide, horrified eyes. He blinked, overwhelmed by the image of dirt from their old garden flaking off Yugi's hands. They never remembered. Bakura opened his mouth, tried to speak, but nothing came out. He looked down at the stains creeping through his clothes, and his vision went black.

Maybe this time...

He heard Zorc's laughter prickling over his skin, and Bakura prayed to the three goddesses he had never believed in, because what harm could it do?

Maybe this time, it would be different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be Flare, but then I realized TKB makes a PERFECT substitute for Ganondorf sooo. Whoops!  
>  ~~i swear there's a ship name for yami yugi/yami bakura/yugi at least, which kinda works, but i cannot find it to save my life forgive me~~


	7. Day 7: Looking After You (Flare)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *lays this on RaeValentine's grave*

It was always a bit strange, being inside Kaiba Corp after hours. It was dark and silent, and felt a little like trespassing even though they'd both had a card key for at least a year. Yugi was glad of the carpet to muffle their steps. Kaiba's office was lit at least, and he looked up briefly from his desk as Atem and Yugi entered.

     "I'm fine."

He resumed his typing with no further comment.

Atem and Yugi stared at each other in sleepy amusement.

     "Hello to you too," Yugi said with a yawn. "We brought food. Do you know what day it is?"

     "3 AM on Monday the 21st," Kaiba answered without looking at the clock. "I had lunch this afternoon. I'll eat when I come home."

     "Mhm." Yugi leaned against one corner of the desk, balancing a takeout box in one hand. "Nice try." Atem moved behind Kaiba's chair, pulling it gently back from the desk. Kaiba tsked at them, leaning back with a disgruntled sigh, as Yugi maneuvered himself in Kaiba's lap.

     "Sorry dearest, time for a break." Atem's voice was soothing and sleep-rough against Kaiba's temple where he had pressed his lips. Atem leaned on the chair, sliding an arm around as much of Kaiba's shoulders as he could reach. Yugi opened the box, and Kaiba's mouth watered in spite of himself. Yugi pulled out a skewer and waved it temptingly.

     "Ok?"

Kaiba didn't answer for a moment, so Yugi and Atem waited. If this had happened earlier in their strange relationship, Kaiba would have kicked them both out without a second thought. To be taken care of like this was almost nauseating, but...

     "Ok," Kaiba managed to force out, trying to slow his breathing. Atem gave a pleased sigh and began kneading over Kaiba's tight shoulders. Yugi smiled, poking the skewer carefully into Kaiba's open mouth. The bright flavor of peppers and the well-spiced meat burst over his tongue, and Kaiba realized just how hungry he had allowed himself to get. Too often it wasn't on purpose, he simply didn't notice the warnings of his body until he was pale and dizzy with it. So he let Yugi feed him, and gradually managed to shove his involuntary fear response back into some dark corner of his amygdala from whence it came. His muscles began to relax under Atem's skilled hands, and when they moved to stroke his hair he accepted it with only the smallest hitch in his breathing.

They went through the whole box like that in companionable silence. Most of the food went to Kaiba, but Yugi fed Atem a few as well. Once it was gone, Yugi sat, utterly relaxed in Kaiba's lap, licking the juice off his fingers. Taking another steadying breath, Kaiba grabbed Yugi's wrist, sucking the final two fingers clean. He looked up at Yugi's sharp intake of breath, and found him looking suddenly very awake. Atem laughed softly beside him, still stroking Kaiba's hair.

     "Feeling better?"

Kaiba nodded, releasing Yugi's fingers and dropping his hands to Yugi's waist so he could remove him from his lap.

He briefly considered going back to his work, but Yugi grabbed his hands, tugging him up out of the chair.

     "C'mon. Just a few hours?" His resistance mostly lost to good food and the warmth of Atem and Yugi's bodies, Kaiba relented, following them towards his private quarters.

     "Wait." Yugi and Atem stopped, looking up at him. Kaiba tipped Yugi's chin back, kissing him as gently as he could manage. When he pulled away, Atem was looking up at him expectantly, and Kaiba huffed softly as he leaned down again to meet Atem's lips. "Just a few hours."

     "You're welcome." Yugi smiled drowsily at Kaiba's unspoken thank-you, before turning and leading their way out of the office.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~kaiba has trouble with intimacy, who knew? not me~~
> 
>  
> 
> Actually finished! Time to party! *immediately falls asleep*  
> Come [bug me on tumblr](http://duelmepharaoh.tumblr.com) if you want, and thanks for all the love these prompt fills got. <3


End file.
